The cult following of Johnny Manziel during his college days bordered on the ridiculous.

It didn’t take long — mere days after being drafted into the NFL — to cross that border into farcical and hare-brained.

Now that social media and the football paparazzi don’t have Tim Tebow to stalk and make Tsk! Tsk! noises at for being too moral and too religious, they’re dumping displeasure on Manziel for being too much the playboy, and funmeister.

Dumb then. Dumb now.

Manziel is being publicly rebuked for showing up in Las Vegas during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The cad!

Not serious enough about the game, people say.

Bringing the Browns into disrepute, twitters the social media.

As if the Browns haven’t already done a great job of that themselves, without Manziel’s help.

Football talking heads shake, looking much like a former high school principal in mid-lecture after “unknown parties” at my old alma-mater hung his VW bug over the curb stone in the parking lot of Chatham Kent Secondary School.

It actually was going on the school auto-shop roof — but that was before people came to their senses.

Speaking of some good sense. It has been in short supply when it comes to Manziel.

Yes, the kid can grate. He can be supercilious. He has a talent seemingly surpassed only by the size of his ego. But lots of outstanding athletes have egos to match. It can be argued it is that very ego that helped drive them to greatness.

Muhammad Ali was a boastful loudmouth. He was also a magician in the boxing ring. A wonder to watch, even if a pain in the ear.

Joe Namath believed himself God’s gift to women. He was also God’s gift to a sport that at the time was struggling in the wilderness of its adolescence.

Manziel had a reputation in college for partying and seeing it broadcast on social media. The self-promotion could be nauseating.

This weekend he went to Vegas. He took in the UFC fight, he hung out with Dana White and Diplo, showed up at a pool party with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Oh, the horror! To judge from reaction on social media, somebody should’ve been hiding the women and children.

Instead, websites shouted that there were (Caution: Those gentle readers easily scandalized should now retire to the safety of the Food Section) — yes, there were women! In bikinis!

As if this is a bad thing? At least to read and hear what’s being said from TMZ to ESPN, where at least Herm Edwards came to the quarterback’s defence.

The Internet is in many cases a handy tool. Sometimes it is just a tool.

Sports-talk shows have been debating whether Manziel has failed to represent the franchise in a good light. As if spritzing champagne and having a good time in Las Vegas is a crime.

Manziel has a right to party in Vegas just like anyone else. He’s 21. It’s the off-season. He has money. He doesn’t look like an ogre, or presumably smell like a goat, so chances are a few ladies might be attracted.

Big deal.

Gronkowski is supposed to be rehabbing his knee and nobody made a big whoop about him being in Vegas.

Plenty of other NFL players were also in Vegas for the UFC fight. There were probably a few there gambling, too. Nobody sent photos of them blowing their brains out at the craps table.

Browns fans commented that he should be concentrating on learning the Browns offence. Manziel felt obliged to take a photo of the playbook he had taken with him to Vegas, noting that he was spending time studying.

Not that he needs to justify himself. Not this time. Not in this case. Lawyers don’t spend 24/7 on their caseloads, factory workers holiday in the Muskokas, and lots of people vacation in Vegas.

Manziel didn’t beat anyone up, he wasn’t busted for drugs, he didn’t shoot anyone. OK, he got a bit rowdy with the champagne. But he didn’t break any laws.

It’s the off-season. He was enjoying himself. Last time we checked that isn’t a sin. So put the cellphone cameras away people.

Until he actually does something illegal; something that actually hurts his, or the team’s performance, give it a rest. Please?

HASH MARKS

Patriots’ former tight end, Aaron Hernandez, will be arraigned on charges Wednesday in the murders of Safiro Furtado and Dan Abreu. Police allege Hernandez shot the pair in a Boston night club in 2012. He’s already waiting trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd ... In Arizona, coach Bruce Arians says second-year running back Andre Ellington will get 25 to 30 touches per game ... How not to impress the coach: Dallas rookie guard Zack Martin blocked star linebacker Sean Lee to the ground in what was supposed to be a non-contact drill. Lee is now headed to the doctor after leaving practice with a knee injury ... Ravens signed first-round pick C.J. Mosley while the Eagles signed second-round pick Jordan Matthews, who it is hoped can help replace DeSean Jackson ... Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro has been charged with public drunkenness and destruction of property after police allege he punched out a cab window. He’s the fourth Ravens player to be arrested this off-season which means the handiest spot for the next team meeting will be at the local courthouse ... Like father; like son? Evidently not. The 49ers took a pass on WR Jerry Rice Jr. after a weekend tryout, deciding not to sign the son of their former star receiver.